The devil's deal
That night Xena cried in the barn under the pretense of tending to Argo, she couldn't believe the promise she had just made to Daniel. How could you ever bring her self to harm him promise or no. She never dreamed it would all come down to her having to harm her child, but she knew it was very likely that just to make things even more messed up Ares would demand Daniel kill her. If she let herself be killed not only was Solan definitely doomed but the world. And if she didn't allow herself to be killed she had killed her own child.
"Catch-22," Ares said. Xena turned pulling out her sword immediately. Ares noted it under his throat, but didn't flinch.
"Get out of here, stay away from my son."
"You mean my son," Ares told her.
"What do you want Ares, I'm willing to bargain, I suggest you take me up on the offer since I'm not the bargaining type."
"True your not, but I'll tell you what I want. The key to world domination, and that is my son with you. Besides his real mother wants to see him." Xena punched Ares so hard he fell to the ground. He laughed as he stood up.
"That bitch may have been in my body when he was conceived, but I birthed him, I fed him, I changed his diaper, I comforted him, played with him, and trained him. So don't you ever tell me or imply that I am not his real mother. Daniel is my son no matter the circumstances around his conception."
"He won't think of it that way."
"Oh don't give me that bullshit, he knows how he was conceived. I keep no secrets from my son."
"Does he know you once made love to me freely?"
"He knows we had an relationship like everyone else, it's no secret." Ares laughed.
"I'm sure."
"You must want something else." Ares paced silently realizing that like at another point in Xena's life he could ask anything of her and the likely hood of her agreeing had gone up considerably.
"Hmm...well I already have your soul in the next life so that's out. Just so we're perfectly clear you want me to..."
"Leave my entire family alone, anyone I consider family you may not touch them ever in this life or the next, you will let them have peace. You can not interfere with their lives directly or indirectly. That also includes me as well." He nodded.
"Fine, but I want Daniel."
"No, you can have anything, but not my son."
"I want Solan."
"I just told you not my sons." Ares was silent and disappeared. Xena remained tense before he reappeared again.
"All right, you say I may ask of you anything?" Xena nodded.
"within limits that you're well aware of."
"All right, I want from you a daughter, you must willingly lay with me and create a daughter. And until you agree, this contract..." He paused and held out his hand. "will remain unsigned. I will keep attacking until I either have my son or my daughter." He disappeared. "Sleep well Xena." Xena growled and punched a hole through Argo's stall door.
"Sorry girl." She walked out hurrying into the house.
"What's going on, Daniel felt his presence," Solan told xena when they stopped their attack upon seeing her.
"He's offered to leave Daniel alone."
"But there's a price," Cyrene replied without hesitation. There would always be a catch with the Gods.
"In exchange for Daniel and leaving everyone we consider family in peace in this life and the next, he proposes that I give him a daughter."
"A daughter?" Daniel and Solan asked.
"I'm guessing he want's a female replica of me."
"You can't do it," Daniel told her.
"Why not if it will save your life?" Tabbai asked.
"Because Tabbai Ares is forcing me to choose one child over another. If I choose Daniel and Solan he will hang that over my daughter's head for the rest of her life. And vice-versa. The feeling of betrayal from your mother is one of the worst feelings in the world and very powerful."
"I'm so sorry Xena."
"Don't be its not your fought mother." Xena hugged her as she returned it and kissed her cheek.
"Mommy I won't be betrayed, I'm asking you not to do it."
"Daniel it doesn't matter that you could tell me not to do it, in no time you'll find that most of your free will and clear thinking will have diminished greatly. "
"What are we going to do?" Solan asked.
"I don't know, I don't know which is worse not stopping a war that will ruin your lives or having another child to give him and put her in the exact same place I'm trying to keep Danny from." They all sat together all night as a family trying to find ways to stop Ares.